Shopping: 993 vs 996

Hello Folks I am new to the "911" crowd but not new to Rennlist. I am considering my next purchase between the 993 & 996. Would like to hear your opinions, pros and cons, between the two models. Would especially love to hear from anyone who owned or "experienced" both cars. How many of you had to deal with the RMS issue? Or for that matter what was the single major "fix" since owning yours? -thanks!

993 is definitely more of a thrill ride. Probably a better car for a low annual mileage user. Used mainly for PCA events, Sunday drives, etc. A go kart with A/C for the street. Not quiet enough inside for long trips. The noisy air cooled sound is a rush. 996 definitely a better choice if you can use it for some longer drives and can drive it 5 days a week from April through November. Much quieter and more civilized than the 993. You will not drive in as sporty a fashion as you do in a 993. A really nice used low mileage 996 will be the same price as a comparable mileage/condition 993 because there are few 993's left in great condition. You will have more choices in 996's because 25% of those cars are still in low mileage/excellent condition. My black 993 was sexier but I really enjoy my AS 996 more because I can use it comfortably for trips 150 miles or less. Longer than that is okay but when I go 600 miles I want my Lexus.

Addendum. 993 at 73,000 miles had very minor leakage at the rear main seal and both valve covers when I sold it. A drop on my garage floor every 2-3 days of driving. I have a nice 4 car garage that I wash my cars in and I sweep and mop the floors frequently, so no big deal for me. The 996 now has 37,000 miles and no leaks of any kind.

I've owned both (2002 and 1996) and I far prefer the 993. It's built sooo much better and I like the smaller dimensions and appearance better too...

Drive both and see what you like. Everyone has different expectations and opinions about 911s, especially if you have owned older 911s. What some such as Grant may prefer may not be what you prefer. The cars are very different so drive them both. To me, the 3.6 996 is the best daily driver 911 to date based upon the combination of comfort and performance. A 320 hp C2 is actually very quick and smooth. I have been real tempted to trade my 04 996 NA for a 993TT, but I am in the less vocal group that actually perfers the looks of the 996 over the 993 and have been leaning heavily toward a 964 3.6 Turbo as opposed to the 993TT as a backup to my 996TT. I do like the looks of the 993TT with the spoilers, but not real sure about 993s without the tail and front end treatment. It all comes down to what you like and which car you had the most fun driving or felt the most comfortable in. As far as maintenance, any Porsche is going to be somewhat expensive to maintain. I have been lucky in that the 2 NA 996s I have owned have no problems whatsoever and have been the least costly Porsches I have owned to maintain. I have owned a 964, a 88 3.2 and an 81 SC and those cars were by far the most costly cars I have ever owned as far as maintenance and upkeep. The 993 may be better, however, any Porsche, especially one out of warranty is subject to being costly to maintain unless you work on them yourself.

Get the newest 911 that you can afford. They get better every year.

As others have said, personal preference. My strong preference is 996--my third Porsche and the best. Not only as a daily driver, but also as a performance car. Throw in the additional advantages of more modern technology and the fact that it's simply a newer car. If you can afford a 996, I'd recommend it. If you can go for an '02 or newer, all the better. Good luck.

EZ, I'm on my second 996, my first was a 2001 c4 and now my c4s cab the improvements from 2001 to 2004 were remarkable and I would second the opinion to get the newest model you can afford. Someone may want to correct me here but I would avoid the 1999 996 since it was the first model year and I believe there were some issues - somewhat speaking out of my *** here though since I didn't own one. I do seriously believe its such a personal preference that no one will be able to tell you definitively which model to get. You'll need to drive them... If you ever find yourself in the Orange County NY area I'd be more than happy to let you take out mine for a nice spin for comparison. Cheers, Rob

EZ Rider, I would not be afraid of a 1999 996 if that is what you can afford. There have been many threads on this forum and the constant consensus has been that the 1999 models are no more susceptible to dreaded RMS (rear main seal) leaks than later models. This has been discussed ad infintum but the bottom line is that the 01 and 02 cars are equally likely to have that problem as earlier models. I am not defending my 1999 car model year. I was originally looking for a 2000 or 2001 myself. I found an exceptional 1999 so that was the car I bought after looking at 30 or so. There are definitely fancier 996 cars, especially C4S, etc. that I would like to have. I have too many other distractions including a boat, and a travel trailer that I use so at $40 grand in my Porsche I feel I've made a responsible choice. Plus WE are really happy with our 996 and attend 15 or more local PCA functions a year. A 993 may hold it's resale better than a 996 so that could be an issue. Drive as many as you can, that's what we did.

Get the newest 911 that you can afford. They get better every year. I agree completely. I'm partial to the GT3 because I'm a co-owner of one, but I appreciate any well cared for 911 I see. They all have their qualities.

I was in the similar dilemma months ago and now i am a happy owner of 996. I still think 993S looks best of all 911 models. The key advantages of 996 over 993 are ( not the ones listed already) 1. more leg room (side ways) 2. better ride 3. bigger rear seats ( I use it when I want to go for a ride wit my daughter) 4. Less forgiving. (less tail spining) I think you will be happy with either car. I happened to end up with 996 because a perfect opportunity came to me. I wasnt really in the market but I am pretty happy that I have this red 996 sitting in my garage. I must tell you also that the aerobody (GT3 body) makes the car much more exotic than the base body (if you dont mind getting lots of attention ..)

You know what. The 996 grows on me. I have been dismissing the 996 ever since it came out. But recently when I was looking at 996s with the full aero kit and think, well, it actually look pretty good.. Also when I check the Edmunds's (?) reliability index, the 996 is better than the 993. So my vote will go to the 996, then 964 and then the 993. (I prefer the 964's look better, personal taste)

I've got some seat time in a 996 on the track and it is a great car. When I voted with my wallet, I bought a 1998 C2S with aerokit and it gets the garage over the brand new Cayenne Turbo...that ought to tell you how I feel about the 993. I prefer the look, the build quality, and the visceral experience of the 993 of the increased performance, comfort and ergonomics of the 996. However, like you will hear everywhere, they are both excellent cars and you should decide based on your own unique set of priorities.

Don, what happened to your C2 cab?